Learning experience
by nattbarn
Summary: Superboy discovers that when you grow up a bit in the TARDIS, it happens in bits and pieces, and you don't really notice.


Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice or Doctor Who.

* * *

><p>"Hello, I'm the Doctor," the man says, sounding happy, but there's something terrible right beneath it. "This is Amy and Rory. They travel with me, and now so do you apparently. How did you get in here?"<p>

Superboy looks around, at the large room, at the pretty woman with the red hair, and the normal man who's eyes are older than anything he has ever seen, including the strange man who stands right in front of him asking questions he can't really answer.

"I don't know," he says. "I was fighting someone, he was using some sort of portal to move around and I fell in."

The terrible thing goes away, and the Doctor grins for real.

"Lucky you then," he cheers, slapping Superboy on the shoulder. "Ouch. If you hadn't landed here, you would have been torn apart in the Time Vortex, and we can't have that, can we?"

"Just say no," the one he thinks is Rory says quietly.

"No," Superboy says.

* * *

><p>It turns out to be a time machine called the TARDIS, Amy and Rory are married, and the Doctor lets them travel with him. The Doctor and Rory really like Amy, and Amy keeps them together as a team, being sort of in-between the other two, not quite as insane as the Doctor, but more willing to run after adventures than Rory.<p>

Superboy isn't quite sure he likes them. After he introduced himself the Doctor started babbling about mind-links to other universe, Amy muttered something about 'stupid comic books' and Rory asked for his autograph, before showing him the library.

"You can hide from all the crazy stuff here," he'd said.

Superboy's very grateful for that, because the Doctor is kind of _over_whelming.

* * *

><p>He decides that he likes them when they save his life on purpose. Amy shouting at someone she really shouldn't be shouting at, Rory holding someone else at swordpoint, and the Doctor doing something he insists is very clever, but basically amounts to picking a lock.<p>

"Thanks," he says.

"Tch," Amy says. "As if we'd leave you behind."

* * *

><p>Superboy eyes the funny looking alien, having some trouble deciding whether it's a threat or no.<p>

"I AM DALEK," it says, as if that should mean anything to him.

Then it tries to shoot someone, so he kicks it into the ocean.

The Doctor goes around giggling for days.

* * *

><p>"Okay," the Doctor says, staring at the hole in the ground where Superboy had landed. "I don't know much about Kryptonians, we don't have them in our universe, but you aren't actually supposed to be able to fly until you're older."<p>

Superboy looks up at him. "Really?"

"Yes," Rory says, then blushes. "Sorry. But according to some sources, Superman couldn't fly until he was years older than you."

"Listen to him," Amy throws in. "He was a total geek in school. Still is actually."

* * *

><p>The Doctor helps him train. Not actual fighting mind you, Rory took that job when he spotted Superboy trying to work out alone. He's scary good at it too, even if Superboy can just poke him, and send him through a wall.<p>

But smaller things, like how to use his ears and eyes, how to focus to see things that are far away.

When he accidentally sets some curtains on fire by looking at them the Doctor jumps up.

"Fantastic!"

* * *

><p>"So, what's her name?" Amy says, smirking at him when he just stares back. "Oh, don't give me that. You'd have to be blind not to notice. Or the Doctor. And possibly Rory, though he's better at noticing with other people."<p>

"... M'gann," Superboy says.

"Not human?"

"From Mars."

"Nice."

* * *

><p>"Run!" someone yells, it doesn't matter who because when someone yells run, you run.<p>

Superboy picks them all up, and runs off a cliff. It's the only way away, and he doesn't notice that the landing is softer than normal.

* * *

><p>"Oh, my God," Amy says, hugging him. "I know you're bulletproof and all, but don't do that."<p>

"Please, don't," Rory says.

They sound really worried.

* * *

><p>"I don't think he likes me much," Superboy shrugs.<p>

Rory looks irritated. "Happens sometimes. Some bloke who can't deal with the consequences of his actions, and takes off," his eyes go steely. "Not really the same thing, I guess, but it's the same answer. It's not your fault."

* * *

><p>"A library planet sounds fun," Superboy says.<p>

"It's not," the Doctor says, and the terrible thing is back.

* * *

><p>"No, no, no," the Doctor is practically bouncing in place. "Bit more focus, bit more relaxed. You're trying too hard. Don't squint so much!"<p>

"You have two hearts," Superboy says.

Amy and Rory cheer from the sidelines.

* * *

><p>"He's just a clone!" the woman objects, sounding like this is the ultimate argument. Like no one could argue against that.<p>

"And?" Rory says, like it doesn't matter.

"So what?" Amy says, like the woman's an idiot.

The Doctor doesn't say anything.

When they leave, there's nothing where there used to be a building.

* * *

><p>He's hovering barely an inch above the ground.<p>

The TARDIS moves itself so that he's standing on the floor again, and Superboy can practically feel the annoyed grumble.

Like she doesn't have enough trouble keeping track of them.

* * *

><p>"How do you feel about, Smallville, Kansas, your universe, 1993?" the Doctor asks.<p>

Superboy says 'fine', and ends up with a taste for coffee, and a picture of some boy named Clark tripping over his own feet because there's a pretty girl around.

Amy and Rory thinks it's hilarious for some reason, and insists that he has to keep it.

* * *

><p>"Are those fish?" Superboy says, staring into the fog. "Can I keep one?"<p>

"S'long as it's not the shark," the Doctor says.

* * *

><p>River Song falls into the TARDIS like she owns it, knocks the Doctor completely off his game, and orders them all along on what turns out to be a quest to steal something.<p>

By now, Superboy has learned to just go with it, even when he doesn't like it.

Besides, that 'something' turns out to save that planet, so he figures a bit of theft is okay in this case.

* * *

><p>"Hold it," Amy says, out of the blue while the Doctor and Rory is trying to fix the TARDIS. Again. "Is your name really Superboy?"<p>

Rory opens his mouth.

"Yes," Superboy says.

Rory closes his mouth.

"Right," Superboy says to Rory, hearing Amy in his voice. "What's my name?"

Rory lasts for all of three seconds before talking. "It's Conner Kent."

"You aren't actually supposed to tell him that," the Doctor says accusingly.

* * *

><p>Superboy's already realized that it must end, soon. He's missing his friends, he's missing his <em>home<em>.

He thinks that Rory is the only one that really understands that, when Rory looks sad, and comments on how tall he's gotten.

Both the Doctor and Amy has almost everything and everyone they truly care about right here in their little blue, big box, and they think they can just go say 'hi' to what's not.

Sometimes, Superboy thinks it's horrible.

* * *

><p>"I can't believe we got arrested," Rory says, while his tone suggests a rather astounding lack of surprise.<p>

"Wait, this has never happened before?" Superboy says, wide eyed. "_How?_"

* * *

><p>"Wow," Superboy says, blinking at the talking tree. "Are you an Ent?"<p>

* * *

><p>"I don't like telepaths-" Superboy says, and the woman glares at him.<p>

"I don't like _lekt_" she snaps and storms off.

The Doctor looks very serious, and points the sonic screwdriver at Superboy.

* * *

><p>"Just lie still," Rory says, and he's good at the comforting stuff. "I'm not going anywhere."<p>

Superboy's not ashamed at clinging to him when the Doctor goes presses his screwdriver against Superboy's head. The Doctor is wonderful, but he's frightening.

"You know," Amy says later, while Superboy is resting, feeling both better and broken after knowing why the Doctor needed to do that. "You should have told us."

"Couldn't," the Doctor says. "Could risk triggering the commands."

"You should have told us," Amy repeats. "So that we could have said it would have been okay."

* * *

><p>"See?" the Doctor grins up at him.<p>

Up.

He's flying.

"Age and practice," the Doctor says, sounding pleased. "Just had to find the right people to teach you a bit."

Around them said teachers laugh.

* * *

><p>The Doctor has a ton of clothing, and Superboy picks the biggest scarf he's ever seen.<p>

The Doctor places a brown hat on Superboy's head when he sees it.

* * *

><p>River Song appears again, shooting a bright red hat with a gigantic feather on it off the Doctor's head.<p>

"Pretending to be a wizard?" she says, disapprovingly. "I've got a much better use for your time."

"Married," Superboy mutters.

* * *

><p>"Fish custard is good!" the Doctor objects when Amy tries to make him pick something else.<p>

Superboy quietly agrees.

* * *

><p>"Run," Superboy says to the warriors, completely calm. He isn't angry, not really, just... just done with this.<p>

* * *

><p>"Sexy?" Superboy stares at the grey monitor. "That your name?"<p>

"Oi, no flirting," the Doctor says.

* * *

><p>"Capt'n Jack Harkness," the man grins cheekily. "Damn, I wish we hadn't met for another few years."<p>

"No. Flirting," the Doctor shouts.

Superboy smirks back at the Captain.

* * *

><p>The TARDIS falls, and Superboy jumps out. He grabs it, and sets in down safely.<p>

"Wow," Rory says, with the kind of admiration Superboy has only heard when people are thanking Superman.

* * *

><p>"I need to go home," Superboy says.<p>

* * *

><p>"Supes! Welcome back, who is this?" Wally is right there when he steps outside, sounding incredibly relived.<p>

"You just disappeared," M'gann says, hugging him. "I couldn't sense you anymore."

"You're... tall?" Robin says.

Kaldur just watches as three people watch Superboy from the blue box.

"I think you owe us an explanation," Superman says harshly.

Superboy looks at him, smiling softly. "I owe them," he points to his team. "Not you."

"Excuse-"

"You," Superboy finishes. "Bye."

"Oh, right," the Doctor grins. "Bye."

"Bye," Amy and Rory choruses, waving happily. Not to be rid of him, but to see him with his friends.

"Kick his arse if he can't get his head out of it," Amy throws out before disappearing into the box.

"Try talking first," Rory says.

"Or better, do whatever you want," the Doctor says, and the blue door closes behind them.

"Hey," Superboy grins, slightly evil, and turns to look Superman straight in the eye. He's tall enough for that now. "Guess what I can do?"


End file.
